Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Sugar Glaze

Caramel apple cinnamon rolls for two — a small-batch recipe.

I hesitate before making cinnamon rolls mostly because of the time yeast needs to work. I love carbs, but that wait can be a dealbreaker. I even created no-yeast cinnamon rolls for busy mornings, and they’re wonderful. Still, many readers asked for a classic, yeast-based version — so here it is: a small-batch caramel apple cinnamon roll recipe that doesn’t demand long rise times. You can let the dough rest briefly while the oven preheats, but extended rising isn’t necessary.

These rolls are fluffy, tender, warm, and packed with apples in a quick caramel-style sauce. Instead of jarred caramel, we make a simple caramel by adding heavy cream to the pan at the right moment — it’s easier than it sounds and yields a rich, saucy finish.

Start these the moment morning light hits your kitchen if you want the full weekend-bakery vibe. The recipe yields four rolls — perfect for a generous breakfast for two or a small treat to share.

My apples look a little imperfect because they’re straight from my CSA box. They aren’t supermarket-perfect, but they’re delicious and local, which I love. We’ve already gone through cider and apples this season just testing and enjoying variations of the recipe — it’s shaping up to be a great time for apple baking.

Caramel apple cinnamon rolls step-by-step photos:

I served a bit of the apple-cinnamon flavor to a toddler by stirring cinnamon into her oatmeal with apple puree — she loved her “cinnamon roll” oatmeal. And yes, the family dog sampled a corner during a photoshoot; I covered the bite with extra caramel. When photographing food, it’s easy to leave tempting samples within reach — consider these rolls for yourself first, and don’t feed them to babies.

This recipe is ideal for a 6-cup small round pan — it fits the four rolls nicely and gives them room to bake up evenly.

Yield: 4

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Small-batch apple cinnamon rolls with a warm caramel drizzle.

Prep Time
45 minutes

Cook Time
15 minutes

Total Time
1 hour

Ingredients

For the cinnamon rolls:

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 tablespoon sugar, plus a pinch for the yeast
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the apple filling:

1 small apple, cored and diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon heavy cream

For the caramel frosting:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Instructions

Make the dough: combine the milk and water in a small cup. Warm briefly until the temperature reaches about 105–110°F.
Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
Sprinkle the yeast into the milk-water mixture with a pinch of sugar and stir. Let sit in a warm place until foamy, about 10–15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, and salt.
Stir the foamy yeast mixture into the flour, then add the melted butter. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Prepare the apple filling: in a small skillet, cook the diced apple with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt over medium heat until the apples soften and the sugar caramelizes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens slightly. Transfer the mixture to a bowl but leave the skillet for the caramel.
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8″ by 4″.
Spread the apple filling evenly over the dough. Starting from the long edge nearest you, roll into a log and slice into four equal pieces.
Place the rolls in a buttered 6″ round pan (or similar small pan).
Let the rolls rest briefly while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bake for 13–15 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned.
Make the caramel frosting in the same skillet used for the filling: melt the butter with the sugar over medium heat and let the sugar color slightly. When golden, carefully stir in all the heavy cream at once (it may splatter). Cook until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. If it seems too thick, the residual heat will loosen it as you stir.
Drizzle the caramel over the warm rolls, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve.

Notes

I bake these in a 6″ small round pan for best results.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 326
Total Fat: 23g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Cholesterol: 63mg
Sodium: 256mg
Carbohydrates: 30g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 25g
Protein: 2g